Doha Film Festival Honours Qatar-Argentina-Chile 2025 Year of Culture with Inspiring Showcase
- 7 films from Argentina and Chile offer audiences fascinating glimpses into South American stories of migration, identity, and resilience
- Oscar® winning Argentinian composer Gustavo Santaolalla to perform with Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the festival’s music programme
Doha, Qatar; November 18, 2025: Doha Film Festival will present a special showcase of short films from Argentina and Chile, and a live musical performance as part of the Qatar-Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture activities. The seven inspiring films have been selected to represent the rich cinematic traditions and contemporary voices from these South American nations. Two-time Oscar® winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla will collaborate with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra for a special performance at QNCC as part of the festival’s music line-up.
The Year of Culture programme highlights the commitment of Doha Film Institute to foster cultural exchange and honour diverse storytelling traditions from around the world. The selected films offer audiences a window into life in the two countries, exploring themes of migration, identity, family bonds and social transformation through evocative personal lenses.
Now in its 14th edition, the Year of Culture initiative developed by Qatar Museums under the leadership of Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa is a dynamic cultural exchange programme designed to cultivate deeper connections between Qatar and nations around the world.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and CEO of DFI, said: “The Year of Culture programme reflects our shared belief that art and storytelling can bridge even the longest distances between people. It provides us with an incredible opportunity to showcase distinct voices from two Latin American countries with rich artistic heritage and cultural diversity. Through this special showcase, we are creating beautiful moments of exchange and collaboration, connecting Qatar’s audiences with the world through the universal language of art.”
Films in the Qatar-Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture showcase include:
Towards the Sun, Far from the Center (Al Sol, Lejos del Centro) (Chile) by Luciana Merino and Pascal Viveros is about two women navigating in Santiago amidst the backdrop of daily urban life.
Sunset Over America (Brazil/Chile/Colombia) by Matías Rojas Valencia is a short documentary that focuses on the dangerous migration routes in Latin America, framed through the memory of a teenager.
The Canon (El Canon)(Chile) by Martín Seeger is about Jean, a Haitian migrant in Chile who is valued in all his jobs as an exemplary worker but his anonymous existence also embodies a canon of marginality.
The Look of Glass (Argentina) by Tomás Murphy is a vibrant portrait of the complex power relations between Yoni and León involved in petty crimes on the streets of Buenos Aires.
Lime (Cal) (Argentina) by Santiago Dulce is the story of Carlos who along with another 15-year-old boy do what neither of them want to do: bury the family’s dog.
Echo and Reverberation (Eco Y Reverberancia)(Argentina) by Fernanda Taleb is about Inés, a young university student, dazed by her professor’s reprimand, she begins to write a letter to her brother.
Baisanos (Chile/Palestine/Spain) by Andrés Khamis Giacoman and Francisca Khamis Giacoman explores the intersection of identity, memory and belonging through the lens of the Club Deportivo Palestino fan group in Chile.
Taking place from 20–28 November 2025, Doha Film Festival (DFF) marks the bold next chapter in Doha Film Institute’s mission to nurture regional talent and champion urgent and authentic stories in cinema.
Key Partners of Doha Film Festival include Katara, Media City Qatar I Film Committee and Visit Qatar. The festival will transform iconic locations across Doha, including Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, into vibrant hubs of cultural exchange, bringing together filmmakers, storytellers, and audiences from every corner of the globe, to reaffirm art’s power. For more information, visit www.dohafilm.com.
